A Guide To Backup and Disaster Recovery

Knowing the basics of backup and disaster recovery is important when it comes to minimizing the effects of unexpected downtime on your company. Across different industries, companies know that downtime could immediately lead to lost revenue. Unfortunately, human error, natural disasters, as well as ransomware attacks may jeopardize the IT resources’ availability. Downtimes could decrease employee productivity, stop business processes, and derail client interactions.

Assessing different deployment technologies and options, defining crucial key term, as well disaster recovery could assist you in creating effective strategies for preventing the results of downtime.

Understanding backup and disaster recovery?

There is an essential difference between backup and disaster recovery. When you say backup, it is the process of creating extra copies of data. Whenever you do this, you protect the data. You may have to restore backup data in case you come across database corruption, accidental deletion, or issues with a software upgrade.

Meanwhile, disaster recovery has something to do with the planning and process for immediately re-establishing the accessibility of applications, IT resources, and data following an outage. That plan may include switching over to the redundant storage units and servers until your main data center is up and running again.

Why Is Planning Important?

You should never ignore backup and disaster recovery. If you need several hours to get back data that may have been lost following an accidental deletion, your partners and clients will do nothing, and unable to finish processes that are critical to your business operations, especially those that depend on technology.

And it case it takes days to get your system back up and running following a disaster, you may be at risk of losing customers permanently. Given the money and time you may lose in these cases, investing in backup and disaster recovery are totally justified.

Important Key Terms

Knowing a few important terms could help you in making strategic decisions. It also lets you evaluate your back up and disaster recovery methods.

Recovery Time Objective – is the time you need to recover your company’s normal business operations following an outage. If you are setting your RTO, you have to take into account the amount of time you are willing to lose as well as how that time would affect your organization’s bottom line. The RTO may differ significantly from one business to another.

Recovery Point Objective – it refers to the data that you could afford to lose in light of a disaster. You may be required to copy the data to a remote data center all the time so that in case there is an outage, it won’t lead to data loss. Or you may also choose to lose five minutes or an hour worth of data.

Failover – it is a disaster recovery process that involves offloading tasks to your backup systems automatically in such a way that’s seamless to the users. You may fail over from the main data center to your secondary site, using redundant systems that are all set to take over right away.

Failback – it is the process of disaster recovery that involves switching back to its original systems. When the disaster is over and your main data center is up and running, it’s important for you to have the ability to fail back seamlessly.

Restore – it involves transferring the backup data to the data system or the main center. This process is considered as a part of the backup rather than the disaster recovery.

Disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) is a managed method for disaster recovery. The hosting and management of the infrastructure will be handled by a third party. The infrastructure that’s being handled is used for disaster recovery related processes. It also allows firms to have those processes to be managed for them.

Prioritize Workloads

Once you’ve have a good understanding of the important concepts about disaster and recovery, it is time to use them on your workloads. Several companies have several RPOs and RTOs that show the importance of every workload to their business.

Check Deployment Options

The next thing when it comes to creating a disaster recovery plan is to check deployment options. Do you need to keep back up data or disaster recovery functions on premises? Do you need a hybrid cloud or public cloud approach?

Cloud

Cloud based backup and disaster recovery methods are gaining in popularity these days among companies of different sizes. Several cloud solutions offer the infrastructure needed to store data and in some instances, the required tools to manage the backup and the disaster recovery solutions.

On-Premises

In certain instances, keeping some backup and disaster recovery processes on site or on premises could assist you in retrieving data and recovering the IT services immediately. By having some sensitive data within the premises may seem attractive when you have to follow strict data privacy as well as data sovereignty rules.

Technologies

Based on which deployment options you select, you may have different alternatives for the kinds of processes and technology that you use for backup as well as for disaster recovery.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. if you are ready to take the next step. Let our team help you set up the best backup and disaster recovery strategy for your organization.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
843-420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/

Data Breaches Continue With Three New High Profile Cases

As 2019 draws to a close, we can say definitively that the year has been another record-breaking one where data breaches are concerned. Hackers around the world have been busy in recent weeks, with a trio of high-profile breaches making headlines.

In late November, one of China's largest manufacturers of smartphones (OnePlus) reported that an unauthorized third-party accessed their user data.

According to a company spokesman, "only a limited number" of customers were impacted and no payment information was accessed. Although the hackers did make off with customer names, addresses, phone numbers and physical addresses.

To this point, OnePlus has not released the exact number of compromised records. Their best estimates put it as a breach comparably sized to the one that the company suffered in January, which impacted some 40,000 users.

On November 28th 2019, Palo Alto Networks suffered a breach. It included personal information belonging to both current and former employees, and happened when an unnamed third-party gained unauthorized access to their network. In this case, the compromised data included employee names, dates of birth, and social security numbers. It gave the hackers more than enough information to steal the identities of the employees whose information was compromised.

Also in November of this year, Desjardins Group, which is Canada's largest federation of credit unions, announced that they had been breached. It resulted in the compromise of personal data belonging to some 4.2 million of its members, which included social insurance numbers, physical addresses and the banking habits of compromised members.

These, of course, are just the latest in an unending stream of breaches in 2019. If things remain on their current trajectory, we can expect that 2020 will be yet another record breaking year. Buckle up, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Fortunately, there are ways to secure your devices and networks. Call SpartanTec, Inc. and let our team of IT experts set up the most effective strategy to protect your data and avoid potential breaches.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
843-420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/

All You Need To Know About Firewalls

Generally speaking, a computer firewall is a kind of software program that works by preventing unauthorized access from or to a private network. Firewalls are considered as tools that could help enhance computer security including those that are connected to a network like the internet or LAN. Firewalls are an important part of an extensive network security framework.

A firewall will isolate the computer from the internet through the use of a wall of code that check every individual packet of data when it arrives at either firewall’s sides – outbound or inbound from your computer – know if it will be blocked or allowed to pass.

Firewalls can further improve the security of your computer by allowing granular control over what kinds of system processes and functions have access to the networking resources. Firewalls could use different kinds of signatures as well as host conditions to deny or allow traffic. Even though they seem complicated, firewalls are quite easy to install, setup, as well as operate.

Many people believe that a firewall is a device that needs to be installed on a network and it will control the traffic that moves through the network segment.

But, it is also possible to have firewalls that are host based. This could be done on the units themselves, like with ICF or Internet Connection Firewall. Generally, the work of these two firewalls is the same. They prevent intrusion and offer a strong way of accessing control policy. In simple terms, firewalls are nothing but a unit that protects your computer.

What Is The Job Of A Firewall?

Firewalls do the following things:

• Validate access
• Protect resources
• Control and manage network traffic
• Report and record events
• Work as an intermediary

What And Why You Need A Personal Firewall?

It is crucial to know why you need a firewall and how it can help you secure computing. We have to understand the objective of information security since it helps us to know how a firewall will deal with those needs.

With today’s high speed Internet Access, you connect your computer electronically to a huge network over which, unless you’ve got a personal firewall installed, you will have restricted control and from which you will have restricted protection. Until lately, unless you have worked for a company that offers high speed internet access.

But just like anything, there are drawbacks to high speed internet connection. But there is an irony to all these. The feature that makes it attractive is also the reason that it’s vulnerable. It’s like connecting to the internet through a high speed internet connection is just like leaving your house’s front door open and worse, unlocked. It’s because high speed internet connection possesses these following features. It has a constant IP, a high speed access, and an active connection.

Protect Yourself With A Personal Firewall

Now that you already have an idea that you’re extremely vulnerable when you are online on a high speed internet connection, what should you do next? You have to learn how to defend your computer and yourself.

You need a firewall when you surf the internet when you are at home and you are using an always on broadband connection. You connect to the internet through a public WiFi network in an airport, café, or park. You run a home network that needs to remain separated from the internet. You want to remain updated about when a program on your computer tries to connect to the internet. Most personal firewalls can be configured so you can easily make security policies that are suitable for your personal needs.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. and learn more about managed firewalls from our team of experts.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
843-420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/

New T-Mobile Data Breach Compromised Customer Info

Recently the US branch of the global telecom company T-Mobile disclosed a security breach that impacted a small percentage of its customer base.

Specifically, the breach revealed certain information belonging to a small number of the company's prepaid cellphone users.

The exposed data included customer names, billing addresses, account numbers, rate plans, plan features and user phone numbers. The company stressed that no payment card information or passwords were compromised.

T-Mobile has contacted and has begun working with law enforcement agencies to further investigate the matter. If you were among the impacted users, you should have already received an SMS today from the company.  If you haven't received a notification and you're concerned that you may have been impacted, you can get a definitive answer from T-Mobile by contacting them at privacy@t-mobile.com.

The FBI has reported an increase in ransomware attacks and has put in place a plan to combat this crime. Once a server has been determined to contain ransomed data, the FBI is taking down the server. Companies need to be aware that even if they pay the ransom they may not get their data returned because the server was confiscated by the FBI.

This has been a fairly good year for Telecoms in general.  Other than Sprint's data breach earlier in the year, this is only the second data breach in 2019 involving a major Telecom company.

As breaches go, this one is quite minor, and odds are quite small that you have been impacted by it.  Again though, if it's something you're worried about, the company has made it easy to get peace of mind.  Overall, T-Mobile's handling of the incident has been better than average. In the weeks ahead as the investigation draws to a close, if there are new details to be learned, the company will no doubt disclose them when and as they are able.

With 2019 rapidly drawing to a close, it seems unlikely that we'll see a spate of Telecomm data breaches. 2019 is likely to be remembered as a year where the Telecomm companies dodged a bullet. Overall, the total number of data breaches continues to surge higher, a trend which is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

Contact SpartanTec, Inc. if you have any doubt that you data may be compromised.  Complete this form for a FREE online audit of your network.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
843-420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/

Twitter Making Changes To Their Political Ad Rules

Social media has been at the center of several high-profile political dramas of late. The major platforms came under fire for not doing enough to monitor political ads and other content.  The major players on the social media landscape are all responding in different ways to the backlash. Recently, Twitter announced some new policies that will likely be in place before the time you read these words.

Beginning on November 22^nd on Twitter, the company's new political content and cause-based advertising policies will forbid the paid promotion of certain content. This includes any content that references government officials, ballot measures, referendums,
regulations, legislation, candidates, political parties, or government officials.  This change essentially renders it pointless for candidates for political office, or for PACs and Super PACs that may be supporting them to purchase Twitter ads.

As details about the company's new policies came to light, even supporters of the idea were quick to criticize. They pointed out that issue-based advertisers would also be punished by the changes. Twitter's CEO Jack Dorsey clarified. He said that issue-based advertisers will be restricted, rather than banned outright. He also said going forward, they will be unable to target users based on demographic factors like race, age, or specific location. Although general location (state and province-level) would still be allowed.

This is a decent compromise position that doesn't leave issue-based advertisers thrilled. However it is broadly seen as a step in the right direction.  One thing the new policy change doesn't address though, is the matter of disinformation on the platform, which tends to spread like wildfire.

All in all, the changes are generally positive, but they should be seen as a first step only.  Social media has unfortunately become a cesspool of misinformation, and no one seems to have any good ideas on how to go about changing that.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. in Myrtle Beach if you need help in securing your network, devices, business, and customer information from all possible threats.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
843-561-9775
https://www.spartantec.com/

In case you weren't already aware, Disney recently launched a new video streaming service called Disney+ which has been driving Netflix and other established streaming services crazy with fear and apprehension since it was first announced.

If the early indications are any clue, Netflix has little to worry about, but Disney has their hands full.

Mere hours after the service was launched, complaints started flooding in, and not just on Disney's website.  Angry customers were taking to Reddit, Twitter, and other social media outlets to complain that their accounts had been hacked the same day they began using them.

As this was happening, hold times at Disney's support center surged past two hours, which only increased customer frustration.  Worst of all, researchers quickly discovered tens of thousands of Disney+ user account details for sale on the Dark Web, with prices starting as low as $3 per account.

If you were one of the lucky customers who didn't get your account hacked, your experience with the service still may not have been stellar.  Many users who could get on it had complaints that they were either completely unable to stream the offered content, or that the streaming speeds were so low that the videos were essentially unwatchable.  These reports, however, were largely drowned out and lost in the shuffle given how many users had their accounts hacked on day one.

One thing that's conspicuously absent from the Disney+ service is a two-factor authentication option.  While this isn't a magic bullet that would have solved all of the company's launch day issues, it would have made it significantly more difficult for hackers to disrupt the launch of the service to the extent that they did.

Disney will no doubt survive and recover from the debacle, but as of now, they have a well-deserved black eye over the affair.

Are you aware of what you employees are accessing on the web? Do you have the necessary firewalls in place to protect your data and the data of your customers? Give SpartanTec, Inc. a call if you have any doubt.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
843-561-9775
https://www.spartantec.com/

What You Need To Know About Co-Managed IT Services

When it comes to the technology plan or managed IT services that your business needs, a one-size-fits-all or a cookie-cutter approach isn’t what you need. A proven process should be set in place if you want your business to move forward. A reliable firm will work with your company’s in-house IT manager to address certain concerns during the proprietary business and onboarding process review.

This involves the following:

1. Evaluating your business IT against the industry standards
2. Identifying technology risks and determining business impact
3. Concentrating on sequencing top priorities that address business risks
4. Prioritizing IT initiatives that support the initiatives of your business

All these information will then be used to create recommendations, which will be provided during the consultation. After that, the IT professionals will create a plan, budget, and roadmap from the comprehensive onboarding and business process. They will also take into account suggested business intelligence solution, application integration and selection, could advisement and strategy, industry compliance and security, remediation plan, cybersecurity action, business continuity solutions, and disaster recovery.

With a co-managed IT service, we will improve your internal IT department. The model used for the co-managed IT services will overlay the tested and proven procedure onto your existing IT structure. These experts will work with your tech team to create a technology plan that is aligned with the kind of business you have and assist in managing your daily IT operations, where you could make the most out of your investment.

Co-managed IT solutions generally include:

1. Continual standards alignment and dedicated network admistration
2. Development of an effective technology strategy
3. Preventative maintenance for the network as well as the end-point environment
4. Managed end-point security
5. Escalation support for your in-house IT-department
6. Cloud computing
7. Backup and disaster recovery
8. Data and IT security

Call SpartanTec, Inc. if you are interested in learning more about how your company will benefit from co-managed IT services.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC  29577
843-561-9788
https://www.spartantec.com/